1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for installing and securing divider walls within a building.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Commonly, builders or architects divide the interior space of residential and commercial buildings into smaller areas. For example, a builder can divide the floor plan in a commercial building into discrete working areas, such as reception areas, offices, conference rooms, etc. To divide the floor space, the builder typically installs divider walls, which define (and separate) the discrete working areas within the building. Such divider walls can be permanent, semi-permanent, or temporary. For instance, the builder or occupants of the building can disassemble and rearrange semi-permanent and/or temporary divider walls to reconfigure the working areas in the building.
In some instances, such divider walls can span an entire height of the floor (i.e., from floor to ceiling). Thus, divider walls can connect to the ceiling at the top end and to the floor at the bottom end. Moreover, typically the divider walls have a rigid connection with structural portions of the building, such as outer walls, floor, and/or ceiling. Commonly, such connections do not allow either end of the divider wall to move relative to the floor and/or ceiling. Furthermore, in installations including a sub-floor and/or suspended ceiling, the wall can easily damage the sub-floor and/or suspended ceiling during a seismic event.
In some instances, however, structural portions of the building can move relative to each other. For example, high-rise buildings can sway, thereby causing relative motion between upper floors of the building. Similarly, buildings located in seismically active areas can (from time to time) experience seismic events, which can cause relative movement between the building's floors. Consequently, such relative movement can stress, damage, and/or break rigidly connected divider walls. Additionally or alternatively, a seismic event can damage the wall's connection with the floor and/or ceiling of the building. In any event, as a result of a seismic event, rigidly connected divider walls can create hazardous conditions within the building.
Additionally, in some instances, the builder can use partial-height divider walls to divide the floor plan into discrete working areas. Particularly, the partial-height divider walls can span less than the entire height of the building's floor. Consequently, the builder can connect only a portion of the partial-height divider wall to a structural component of the building. For example, the builder can connect the bottom end of the divider wall to the floor of the building. Alternatively, the builder can connect the top end of the partial-height divider wall to the ceiling (i.e., a suspended wall).
As noted above, in some instances the structural portions of the building can experience movement. Furthermore, such movement (e.g., movement resulting from seismic events) can translate to structures and objects located on and/or connected to the building's structural components. Typical semi-permanent or temporary divider walls may have insufficient structural support and/or rigidity to adequately withstand the forces transmitted from such movement. Furthermore, movement of the walls can cause damage to connected surfaces, such as floors or ceilings.
Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in connecting divider walls to structural components of a building that can be addressed.